Overseas Properties Case: SC issues contempt notices to Chairman FBR, Member IT

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued contempt notices to Chairman FBR and Member Income Tax during hearing of the case about overseas properties of Pakistani nationals, ARY News reported.

A bench of three judges, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, while demanding reply of the notices within three days, observed that the FBR using delaying tactics in the case.

The bench had formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on November 1st, for a quick probe, and ordered submitting the investigation report about 20 people but the report not submitted as yet, despite passing of around one-and-half month, the chief justice remarked.

Chairman FBR informed the court that the information has been collected, the investigation to be conducted by the field officers. The chief justice said that the FIA has completed its probe but you people have kept the matter in cold storage.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar asked the FBR about details of Aleema Khan, the FBR official informed that these details have been in Lahore.

“We had sent you Lahore for this work,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan said.

The people have made thousands properties abroad and the FBR have sympathies with these people, the chief justice said.

The chief justice ordered suspension of the Member Inland Revenue Habibullah and told the FBR to submit details of Aleema Khan’s properties by Tuesday.

The bench also ordered the FBR to submit a detailed report and adjourned the hearing till December.